The College of Wilds

The dance of leaves, the sounds of wind..

The Tablin have and increasingly complicated culture that spans millennia. They are the only race that exists in every part of the globe. Well not all of them identify with the term tablin, a name given to the mix of species by Estoya, their shared cultural heritage as well as the cultural heritage that makes them unique draw bards from all over the world.
Due to the fact that they are so diverse there is no one way to really classify tablin heritage. A centaur has its own cultural identity that sets it apart from a faun, and vice versa. There is a Bardic College whose membership is comprised heavily of tablin and those who are equally facinated by their culture. It doesn't stop there. These bards immerse themselves in The lore of nature and of the Wild. They sell live in a single spaced for long, filled with a Wanderlust to experience the magnificent sights the world has to show.

History

The first several tablin to graduate from the The Bardic University of Estoya immediately went about establishing this college. Each member gathered stories of their people and preserved them in The House of Wilds. Over the course of many years, the organization grew to nearly three hundred in number, incorporating a general love of nature alongside their Tablin traditions as members of other races joined.

Members of this college are widely known for their breathtaking landscapes, many of which move on the canvas, as if looking through a filtered window. The members of this college are also known for their affinity of nature, capable of transforming themselves into animals or simply charming animals in the area.

The Tablwood

The House of Wilds is located in The Tablwood. This forest lies just outside of Yithwitch. This is the current homeland of the Estoyan Tablin, and serves as an ideal place to learn the ways of the college.

Gypsy Souls

Members of this college actually prefer the dangerous wilds in comparison to urban environments. They all experience in insatiable wanderlust. Many do not truly call a single place home and travel all over Estoya and The Freeholds in caravan wagons. They are a welcome sight on the road, especially for the Husky Caravans, who have come to call them "Hedge Bards" for their nomadic tendencies.

The House of Wilds

The House of Wilds is where the college bases itself. It is a massive iron oak tree, one of the oldest in the woodland. The tree has no obvious way in or out, requiring a password or some special process to reveal its entrance. Within the tree there are an assortment of small hollowed-out rooms centered around the core of the tree, where the vault lies.

The vault of the College of Wilds is unique when compared to the vaults of other colleges. Iron Oak is incredibly difficult to burn or cut. Is for this fact that the bars have chosen to transcribe the great works they collect into the bark itself. With every year that goes by another canvas emerges and they all the peel back each ring the tree. Doing so reveals countless stories that have been passed down over the generations by the tablin.

Syllabus

Theme:
works valued by The College of Wilds tend to be heavily focused on natural imagery. Many bards often choose to favor specific biomes or specific subjects in nature when they produce their works. Their is also a major priority of preserving Tablin Culture.

A Thesis of The Wilds

The wilderness is bigger than all of us. It is indifferent, at times, to our very existence. This is to be expected from something that is that big and that old. Some think that cities consume the wilderness. They think that civilization is a taming of the wild. To think that the very presence of civilization nullifies that of the wilderness is false. Those in the city have merely traded the wilderness in which they lived for another. They do not realize that the cities they build rest on earth that the Wilds have already claimed. They are trespassers, or at best, use the land on lease. The wilds were there when the cities were built, and given enough time, the Wilds will always reclaim what is theirs... not by natural law... but by right.

Fun Fact: Tablin Culture

Due to their connection to the Tablin, most bards in the College of Wilds have a connection with their own totem. They even go so far as to adopt the Estoyan tablin traditions of wearing masks that depict their totems. On top of this, bards of this college are also capable of utilizing Iron Oak Armor, and almost ritualistic armor of Tablin design that is incredibly durable if maintained properly.

Routine - The Call Of The Wilds

The Bard listens without ears, connecting in spirit with a world around them. When this connection is made they can communicate and befriend wildlife they encounter. This can save many lives including that of the creature they tame, but this connection is not permanent. Before long, the creature will go its own way, returning to wilds where it belongs.

Routine - Inner Nature

The bard once again listens without ears, attuning themselves to their surroundings. The bard can temporarily transform themselves into an animal that would logically be found in this environment. The bard will retain their intelligence but will be limited to only what such a creature can do in their actions.

Composition - Totems

The bard breathes life into their composition by personifying their totem, and depicting it in equal measure within the composition itself. The work produced will be a beautiful rendition of the totemic creature, and The board cab experience temporary increases in various traits depending of the totem used.

Composition - Nature

Nature's incredibly broad concept but it is the very structural foundation of the college. Bart attempts a composition that seeks to fully define and depict nature in a single piece of work. The board will use their medium to compose a lifelike representation of the environment they find themselves in. Doing so allows the bard to nullify the effects of environmental hazards on themselves and their allies, due to their innate understanding of that environment.